A Magistrate court sitting in Ado Ekiti has given 16 business concerns
in Ekiti State seven days to fumigate their business premises in line
with the Covid-19 protocol or risk being sealed off.
The affected organizations include Happy Homes Ventures opposite
Awedele Market, Soterial Hotel at GRA, Sara Wink Pharmacy at Adebayo
Area, Smathex Pharmacy opposite School of Nursing, Kanada Store, Irona
Street and Beta Health Pharmacy also at Adebayo.
Others are Ige Pharmacy at Basiri, Jeskod Pharmacy & Stores Nova
junction, First Peter Pharmacy, Lino Supermarket, Similoluwa Hosana
Traffic Hotel.
The firms were arraigned before Magistrate court for their failure to
fumigate their premises in spite of several warnings by officials of
the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
Giving the order, Magistrates Olubunmi Bamidele and Moradeke Onipede
said they were found culpable of the offence under Section 57
subsection 4 of Ekiti State Environmental Health and Sanitation
Reenacted Law no. 21 of 2020.
The Magistrates ordered the businesses to liaise with the Ministry of
Environment and conduct the fumigation within seven days adding that
the Ministry should seal off organizations that were not represented
in court despite receiving court summon.
In her reaction, the State Commissioner for Environment and Natural
Resources, Mrs. Iyabo Fakunle Okieimen said that her Ministry had met
with the firms several times and told them to fumigate their premises.
She reiterated the commitment of the Fayemi led administration to the
general well-being of people in the State adding that government would
leave no stone unturned to curb the spread of the deadly virus in the
state.
She advised business organizations in the state to properly fumigate
their premises and observe all covid-19 guidelines towards
contributing to efforts at tackling the spread of the second wave of
the Corona Virus in the state.